The New Guy
by sandman7734
Summary: The X-Men receive a mysterious new member, whose abilities make him a powerful addition to the team. But the new guy has a dark and deadly past, one that's finally come back to haunt him...
1. An Unexpected Arrival

**Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution, or anything relatively that cool. Which is why I cry myself to sleep every night. Although I do own this one character, so that makes me slightly happier.**

**Anyway, me and my friend claytheamazing have been working on this story for a long time, tweaking and perfecting the details. Hopefully, this will turn out to be a success. ****Begins right after "Fun and Games" before following the XME storyline.**

**Also, this story will not be given a specific year (i.e. 2008, 2009). It's in its own timeline.**

**Warning: This story will, at some points, contain graphic violence, language, and (possibly) rape. You have been warned.**

**I will also be using a couple of songs in this story that are NOT mine. I do not own them, they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

___Every one man is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. - _Mark Twain

_Fear is not a disease of the body; fear kills the soul. _- Gandhi

_Sleep my friend, and you will see, the dream is my reality. _- Metallica

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Arrival**

Fate is completely unpredictable; a fact that every human has to learn at some point in their life. You can't scam it, trick it, or confuse it. You can't force it to give you good fortune, and you most definitely can't use it as a weapon. You just have to go with it, and pray that what fate has in store for you doesn't completely destroy you. And as it turns out, fate was at work once more...

A few miles outside the city of Bayville, inside a small motel, a teenage boy was thrashing about in his sleep, limbs flailing and moans escaping from his lips. With a sudden gasp, the boy jerked awake, his upper body lunging forward. On instinct, he began glancing around the room for anything suspicious, his eyes darting around rapidly.

The young man calmed down when he realized that he wasn't in any danger. When his senses fully returned, he noticed that his heart was hammering like a jackhammer and that he was covered in a layer of sweat. The teen rubbed some of the perspiration off of his forehead and away from his eyes before glancing toward the cheap alarm clock on the bedside table. The green numbers showed him that it was 5:49 in the morning.

The boy known as Marcus Floyd sighed as he climbed out of his bed, kicking the sheets off of his body in frustration. '_Had to wake up eventually, might as well be now', _the teen thought bitterly as he began walking toward the bathroom. A quick shower and then some breakfast, and he was out of there, heading for a special place for 'people like him'. He had never really had a set destination before, instead traveling wherever his master wished to take him.

_Where I lay my head is home, _Marcus mentally joked as he switched on the light in the bathroom. The teen blinked as the light temporarily blinded him before his eyes adjusted. He walked over to the sink and turned on the cold water, splashing it in his face in an attempt to fully wake himself up. The boy didn't bother drying his face, instead preferring to let the water slide down his skin and onto his chest. Marcus glanced upward, examining himself in the mirror.

His pitch-black hair, which he was very proud of, was all messed up from a combination of sweat and bed-head. His emerald green eyes danced across the mirror as he continued gazing up and down his form.

Marcus had liked to sleep shirtless ever since he was twelve. His body was quite amazing for someone his age. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him; instead, his body contained impressive musculature, which he was somewhat self-conscious about, as it normally drew attention whenever he was shirtless, especially when members of the opposite sex were nearby.

But his eyes eventually journeyed back upwards to his face, which was still wet from the water. "What kind of teenager is afraid of a goddamn dream?" he growled at himself. His mind was angry, but his eyes showed a mixture of fear and shame. The feeling of shame wasn't from being afraid; it was from what the dreams were telling him. He knew exactly what they were about, and he hated having to relive that moment over and over again.

He just wanted to put that whole ordeal behind him and try to move past it, but these dreams continued to haunt him and remind him of what he had done. It scared him. And he hated it.

Sighing once more, Marcus grabbed a towel and turned on the water in the shower. Fortunately, the motel was mostly empty, with Marcus and another guy staying there, and they were on opposite ends of the building, eliminating the fear of awakening a neighbor. This was fortunate, as the other visitor was a big guy with dark hair who had arrived on a motorcycle and looked pretty tough.

Once the water had finally reached an acceptable temperature, and Marcus prepared to step into the shower, he took one last glance into the mirror. His reflection almost seemed to be mocking him. As if it enjoyed taunting him for the nightmares he was suffering from. Marcus couldn't stand it.

"I'm not in the mood for this shit," he growled before cocking his right fist back and thrusting it forward. The teen didn't even flinch as his knuckles connected with the glass, easily shattering the godforsaken mirror and removing the haunting reflection.

Marcus slowly pulled his fist back, checking the damage to his hand. He noticed a few small cuts between his fingers, but nothing else. It didn't matter anyway, they were already beginning to heal. "Hell of a way to start a Saturday, Marcus," he said to himself before climbing into the shower, being careful to step over the pieces of shattered glass.

* * *

_**Twelve hours later...**_

A black Toyota Tacoma soon arrived at the gates of 1407 Graymalkin Lane, with a large mansion a short distance away, the sun setting behind it. "It's a nice place, I'll give him that," Marcus muttered from behind the steering wheel, his eyes focusing on the building through the lenses of his sunglasses.

Seeing that there was no other way around the gate, Marcus sighed, killed the engine, and climbed out if his truck, showing himself in full daylight.

Marcus was wearing his normal attire of jeans, a blood-red T-shirt, and a pitch-black hoodie. He left his sunglasses on, while also grabbing his keys and his iPod. After locking the truck, he squatted slightly before jumping up effortlessly and grabbing the top of the wall. Marcus then flung himself over the wall, landing on his feet on the other side.

"No one had better touch my truck while I'm gone," Marcus muttered before slipping his hands in his hoodie's pockets and walking towards the mansion.

The teen soon arrived at the door, looking inside thanks to a glass door. _Man, this place has some crappy security_, Marcus thought as he rang the doorbell, before slipping his hand back in his hoodie pocket.

After thirty seconds of waiting, Marcus was about to ring the bell again when someone finally showed up.

A young boy around thirteen years old ran up and cracked open the door, looking up at Marcus's taller frame.

"Can I help you?" the young boy asked. Marcus couldn't help but smile. He could already tell what was going on: The kid was trying to sound mature, adult-like. To make himself seem older and more responsible. Marcus had done similar when he was younger.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Professor Xavier. He here?" the teen responded.

The kid nodded and opened the door fully, allowing Marcus to enter the mansion.

The boy closed the door and began walking, with Marcus close behind him. The two walked down a few hallways, every now and then seeing another teenager watching them carefully. Marcus had the feeling that guests were not that trusted, especially if they were hiding what he thought they were...

The two finally entered what appeared to be a study, with a man in a wheelchair conversing with a teenage boy that had brown hair and red sunglasses. While Marcus remembered Xavier, he had never met the other guy.

Xavier then stopped speaking and turned to regard the two new arrivals, his eyebrows elevating slightly.

"Jamie, Scott, could you give us a moment?" the bald man asked. The young boy nodded and left the room, while the teenage guy with the shades hesitated slightly before walking past Marcus and exiting the room, leaving Xavier alone with Marcus.

After a slight pause, the Professor finally spoke. "It's been a long time, Marcus."

"I know," the teen replied as he pulled off his sunglasses and stuck them in his pocket. "Three years, to be exact."

"Yes," Xavier said, rolling forward. "But the last time we spoke, you said that you did not wish to join us here. Why the change of heart?"

Marcus sighed as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "I did it for Danny. He said that it would be for the best. Said that I could attend school and learn more about my powers. And control them."

Xavier simply nodded. "And you still have no answers to your past?"

Marcus's only response was a solemn shake of the head.

"I see. Well, I told you before that the Institute was always open to you. I wasn't lying, Marcus. We'd be glad to have you with us," Xavier said.

While Marcus seemed hesitant to join them, life on the streets made him understandably cautious, especially around other mutants, whom he had limited contact with. Life in the mansion would be a good experience for him. Plus, the boy needed to find his own path, one that Xavier wished to help him find.

The teen smiled, suddenly feeling very tired as the previous night's lack of sleep caught up to him.

"Thanks, Professor. I'll try not to disappoint you."

At those words, the Professor smiled. "Good. Now, we'd better introduce you to the other students."

Marcus then spoke up. "Could you open up the gates out there first?" he asked, jerking his thumb toward the window. "I need to get my truck."

The bald man's eyebrows rose up. "You have a truck?"

Marcus grinned and nodded.

"Why didn't you use the intercom? We could have opened the gates for you," Xavier asked curiously.

The teen lifted his own eyebrows before face-palming himself. "There was an intercom? Seriously?"

Xavier chuckled slightly before saying "Yes. You didn't think our guests always had to leap over the wall, did you?"

Marcus didn't respond, instead busy trying to get over his stupidity.

* * *

A few minutes later, after overcoming his embarrassment enough to drive his truck into the mansion's garage, Marcus walked back into the study to see the Professor, along with fourteen teenagers, all of whom turned to regard him with curious eyes.

"Everyone, this is Marcus Floyd, our newest student," Xavier said.

So Marcus then went about doing something he usually despised: introductions. But this time, it felt different. Maybe it was because they were fellow mutants. Or because they were other teenagers. Either way, he met the six 'senior' members of Xavier's students first.

The first was the guy with the shades from before, whose name was Scott Summers, and his mutation allowed him to fire concussive beams from his eyes. Marcus made a joke about Scott being a champion at staring contests, which caused everyone to laugh. He could also tell that Scott was a natural leader, and a committed fighter.

Next came an attractive redhead named Jean Grey, who was a telekinetic and a telepath. Though Marcus was initially concerned about the privacy of his own mind, especially his memories, Jean assured him that she respected everyone's privacy.

Kitty Pryde was an attractive girl with a peppy attitude, though Marcus hoped she wasn't as ditsy as other girls with that type of personality. Her power was the ability to phase through solid objects.

Evan Daniels looked like someone Marcus would get along with just fine, considering their penchant for rebelling against authority. His power was to create bone spikes from his body.

The mysterious and quiet girl known as Rogue looked like she'd rather be reading a book in her room, though she still introduced herself and shook Marcus's hand. Her ability, which caused her to absorb the memories, powers, and life force of anyone she made physical contact with, drew some extra attention from Marcus. _I know exactly what you're going through, Rogue_, he thought to himself, hoping Jean didn't hear him. Her lack of a reaction showed him that she hadn't.

Then came Kurt Wagner, who had given Marcus a slight shock due to his appearance, though the boy recovered quickly. Judging by his accent, Marcus guessed that he was German, which turned out to be correct. Unfortunately, Marcus only knew three words in German: Yes (_Ja_), No (_Nein_), and one that he couldn't say in public. When he had told Kurt this, the blue furball had begun laughing. The blue boy was incredibly agile, and he could teleport, which seemed pretty cool.

Then Marcus met the newer recruits, the rookies.

First was Bobby Drake, who could basically freeze things with some kind of beam. Judging by his attitude, Marcus could tell he was a troublemaker, and one to keep an eye on.

Then came Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla, who was blushing furiously and not looking Marcus in the eye. Apparently, she found him attractive. Her powers, which sounded awesome, allowed her to control fire and, to some extent, the earth itself.

Jamie Madrox, the little boy from earlier, had the power to duplicate himself whenever he wanted (or when hit with enough force). The kid seemed kinda shy, though Marcus could tell he had a lot of potential.

Jubilee, an asian girl with a charming smile, had the apparent ability to fire some kind of lasers from her hands.

Sam Guthrie was a boy from down south who seemed like a decent guy, if a little clumsy, and his power allowed him to fly through the air in an almost unstoppable state of movement.

Roberto de Casta seemed like a dependable guy, though he appeared cocky and acted like a perfectionist. His powers allowed him control over fire, flight, and super-strength.

Rahne Sinclair was a Scottish girl who appeared quiet, yet friendly, and she could transform into either a wolf or a human-wolf hybrid.

And finally, there was Ray Crisp, whose wild hair and electrical powers pointed toward the idea that he was a serious hothead. Marcus figured that he should stay on Ray's good side.

"Well, tell us about you, Marcus," Jean said, curious about this new arrival to the Institute.

The boy shrugged. "Not much to tell, really. Grew up on the streets, traveled a lot. Got myself onto the FBI's most wanted list." Marcus bit back a laugh at everyone's stunned reactions. "That last part was a joke, by the way."

A few chuckles, a few sighs of relief (or annoyance?).

"But you really grew up on the streets?" Bobby asked. Marcus nodded and said "Yep. Never even had a day of school."

Everyone was surprised by this, excluding the Professor.

"But, I managed to find myself a pretty good teacher, so I should be up to date on a bunch of stuff you guys are studying," Marcus assured them.

"Well, what about your powers?" Ray asked, wondering if the laid-back new guy was tough.

Marcus grinned. "Good things come to those who wait."

Needless to say, this increased the curiosity of everyone there if he was keeping his powers a secret. Now they all wanted to see what this guy could do. The Professor interrupted their thoughts once he spoke.

"Well, if that's all, would someone like to show Marcus to his room?"

Marcus spoke up, however, interrupting any possible response.

"First, I gotta get my things outta my truck," he said. Naturally, this also drew a lot of attention from the others.

"You have your own truck?" Kitty asked.

"Yep, my baby," Marcus responded.

"Wait, how old are you?" Scott asked.

"Sixteen."

"How'd you get a truck?"

"Poker game."

A silence filled the room, with some beginning to stare in awe, while others began to laugh at what they thought was a joke.

"I'm not kidding. It was a high-stakes game, and I won. Four of a kind, sevens," Marcus said, pride in his voice.

Xavier held off any more questions by speaking once more. "I think that's enough questions. Scott, Kitty, could you help Marcus take his things to his room?"

"Don't worry about it, Professor," Marcus said, waving off any assistance. "It's two duffel bags and a backpack. I can carry it myself."

"Not an option. You're one of us now," Scott said as he stepped forward, Kitty right behind him. A little surprised by the hospitality, which he wasn't used to, Marcus simply nodded and led the way to the garage.

* * *

Upon arrival at the truck, Scott whistled. "Wow. You take pretty good care of her, don't you?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. We've been through a lot together. No way I'd let her get all rusty," Marcus responded as gave the side of the vehicle an affectionate pat. He then whipped out his keys and unlocked the truck, opening the back door and pulling out his luggage. He handed Kitty the backpack that contained his favorite books, which she slung over her back with a grunt. It was slightly heavier than her own backpack, which normally contained textbooks and homework.

Marcus then gave the first duffel bag, which was red, to Scott, who grunted as he struggled to hold it up. Marcus noticed this and took the duffel bag back.

"Sorry, gave you the heavy one," the boy said as he handed Scott a blue one, which was much lighter.

"The heavy one doesn't bother you?" the shade-wearing mutant asked as he slung the blue bag over his shoulder. "Do you have super-strength?" Kitty inquired.

"Eh, I wouldn't call it 'super-strength'," Marcus said as he locked the truck back up. "According to scientific studies, I can lift the maximum weight possible for a human to lift."

"And that would be?" Scott asked as they exited the garage.

"Eleven, twelve-hundred pounds," came the nonchalant response.

Kitty and Scott were awestruck. "Twelve-hundred pounds?" Kitty asked.

"Yep. But that's the only spoiler I'm giving you," Marcus responded, referring to his powers. He was grinning playfully. Then a thought came to his head.

"Is the Professor the only adult here?" he asked.

Kitty shook her head. "No. There are two more, but they're both away for a few days. Guess they had to get away from us." Scott and Marcus chuckled lightly at that.

So the three chatted until they reached a door on the second floor. Kitty opened the door, showing a very nice room, complete with a bed, a bedside table, a small bookshelf, a dresser, and a desk with a mirror on it. "Very nice," Marcus said quietly as he looked all around the room, placing his duffel bag on the bed. Kitty and Scott followed his example.

"Well, dinner's in half an hour, and you'll want to get there early, because things can get pretty wild," Scott warned while Marcus began opening his bags.

"Cool. By the way, if you guys ever need an extra chef, I'm there," the new guy offered as he pulled a book out of his backpack.

"You can cook, too?" Kitty asked.

"Yep. One of the many things I know how to do," Marcus responded as he turned around to regard them fully.

"Well, we'll get out of your hair," Scott said, cutting off anything else Kitty wanted to say. The mutant with the red sunglasses then walked through the doorway, pulling a protesting Kitty with him before closing the door, giving Marcus some privacy in his new room.

From his backpack, he pulled out his books and began placing them on the small bookshelf. Most of them were Stephen King novels, with some Michael Crichton, Steve Alten, and a few classics such as _War of the Worlds_ and _Frankenstein_.

After that was finished, the teen opened his blue duffel bag and removed his clothes, placing them in the dresser in an orderly arrangement. He then pulled out his posters, hanging his 'Metallica: Master of Puppets' one over his bed, his Pantera one on his door, and his AC/DC one near the large window, which oversaw the front of the mansion and the driveway.

Then came the red duffel bag that held all of his expensive stuff. First came the 20x12 inch plasma screen TV, which Marcus placed on the bookshelf right across the room from his bed. Then he pulled out his DELL laptop and placed it on the desk, plugging the charger into the wall.

Marcus pulled out his small stereo and placed it on the bedside table, next to the lamp. Finally, he pulled out a disc-holder, which held a grand total of thirty discs, which composed of some DVDs and some CDs, though Marcus could also plug his iPod into his stereo and play music from that instead of a disc. The last thing he pulled out of the bag was a red headband, the kind used in martial arts, with the symbol of yin and yang on the front. The boy placed it on his bedside table in a tender manner before sitting down on his new bed.

Looking around, Marcus took in the sight of his own room, in a fancy mansion, surrounded by people just like him. There was a time when he thought that he was the only mutant around, though he learned otherwise before he hit puberty. He had never been to a school in his life, had grown up traveling all over the country, and he only trusted a handful of people in the whole world, none of which were his own age. And now, his whole life was about to change. For better or worse.

He really didn't know how to feel about the whole situation; scared, excited, nervous, thrilled.

However, Marcus felt one feeling over all the others: hunger.

Did he really have to wait half an hour for dinner?

* * *

**So, that's chapter one for ya. Not exactly full of excitement, I know, and it feels a little rushed, but I'm happy with it.**

**On a small side note, the Tacoma is the 2008 model, with four doors.**

**A special thanks to my friend claytheamazing, who provided some creative input and helped forge this story into what it is.**

**Anyway, leave a review, tell me what you think, and stay tuned.**


	2. Ten Questions

********************************

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Marcus. He's MINE.**

VirendraLione: I hear ya, mystery characters make good stories. And I plan to continue this, no worries.

TristeAlma: It did, didn't it? But at least I didn't try to jam an Xbox or PS3 in there.

gta manic: Well, ask and you shall receive.

Anyway, this chapter is more about development of Marcus's character than it is about action. But don't worry, the next chapter finally shows us what he can do.

* * *

**********Chapter 2: Ten Questions**

The young man known as Marcus Floyd hadn't experienced a decent night of sleep in weeks, courtesy of the frequent nightmares he had been suffering from. But, as fate would have it, that first night at the Institute had been one of the best in a long time. Marcus had fallen asleep long before anyone else, around 8:30 or so, not long after dinner (which had been a delicious meal of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a biscuit). However, Marcus was unsure whether it was his recent lack of sleep that exhausted him the previous night, or the small battle he had waged to simply reach the food that had been laid out on the table (Scott was right; it had been wild). Either way, Marcus had barely gotten his shirt off before collapsing face-first onto the bed, allowing himself to drift into sleep.

And the nightmares had left him alone that night.

Many hours later, the young man had woken up to the sounds of laughter and running in the hallway outside his room. But he wasn't mad or cranky from the awakening. In fact, he broke into a small smile a few seconds after cracking his eyes open.

He was still lying face-down, wearing his jeans from the previous night. He hadn't even bothered with the covers, as a matter of fact. Glancing over at his stereo, which had a clock in it, Marcus saw that it was almost 10:30 in the morning. Fourteen peaceful hours of sleep.

Marcus easily flipped over and landed on his feet, stretching his arms over his head and yawning before rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. _First thing's first: shower_, the young man thought to himself.

So, quickly grabbing a new shirt and his hoodie, along with another pair of jeans and boxers, the newest arrival to the Xavier Institute stepped into the hallway and began searching for a bathroom.

He didn't have to look too far, as he saw an open door with a shower behind it a little farther down the hallway from his room. Stepping inside, Marcus saw a towel hanging on a rack, already waiting for him. He placed his clothes next to the sink before turning on the water. The young man then closed the door and locked it before taking the rest his clothes off.

* * *

"Did ya hear about what some of the guys are doin'?" Rogue asked Kitty as the two walked down the hallway on the second floor of the mansion.

"What?" Kitty inquired.

"I heard they were settin' up a pool on what the new guy's powers are."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. Roberto, Bobby, Kurt, Evan, Ray, and Sam all put a bet in."

Kitty let out a noise between a sigh and a laugh as the two turned the corner. "So, what are they saying?"

"I dunno. I think one of 'em said he was like Jean. You know, liftin' stuff with his mind. Someone else bet that he could fire energy blasts and fly. You know, that kind of thing," the goth mutant responded.

Kitty was about to make a joke about boys and overblown powers while turning another corner, but a sudden blur came out of nowhere and slammed into Rogue. Kitty's roommate was beginning to fall backwards when a hand reached out and grabbed her arm before pulling her to her feet.

The two girls looked to see Marcus standing there, wearing dark blue jeans and his regular hoodie. His hair was slightly wet, meaning he had just finished taking a shower. "Sorry about that," Marcus apologized as he released Rogue's arm.

"No worries. That happens all the time here," the goth girl responded, waving off the apology.

"The Professor should invest in some kind of warning system," Marcus muttered, causing Kitty and Rogue to smile.

"Anyway, what do you guys do here on a Sunday?" the boy asked.

"Well, we have a pool, a library, and a rec room. But most of the others went to see a movie, so it's a little more quiet around here right now," Kitty responded.

"Thank God for small favors," Rogue said under her breath, though Marcus and Kitty still heard her.

"Not a big fan of crowded places, huh?" the new guy asked as he turned and headed for his room, the two girls following him.

"Only when those crowds involve obnoxious mutant high-schoolers," Rogue said sourly. Marcus grinned at that as he opened the door to his room.

"I see your point," he said as he walked over to his new desk. He reached inside one of the drawers and pulled out his iPod and sunglasses, slipping them back into his pockets. He never went anywhere without them.

"Looks like you wasted no time in setting up, huh?" Kitty asked, glancing around Marcus's room.

"I was always on the move when I was younger. Setting up and packing everything away comes naturally for me," Marcus responded as he began slipping on a pair of socks.

Rogue was silent as she pondered this. Spending most of his life moving from place to place, seeing the sights? To the goth mutant, it sounded like a dream. While she had friends at the mansion, she had never truly fit in, given her inability to make physical contact. She would have to ask about Marcus's journeys later. Speaking of which, the new arrival had finished slipping on his black boots, which were similar to her own. The boy stood up and slipped his hands back into his hoodie's pockets.

"So, who all's here?" Marcus asked.

"Well, there's us, Kurt, Evan, Jamie, and Amara," Kitty responded.

Marcus blinked in surprise before smirking. "So, we have seven people, and only a handful of things we can do for entertainment, right?"

He received a nod from each girl.

The smirk grew into a grin. "Well, I have an idea."

* * *

After Kitty and Rogue had gathered the others into the library, and Marcus had reclined himself comfortably on a couch, Evan spoke up. "If this is some kind of study session, I'm out."

Marcus grinned at that as he placed his hands behind his head. "Do I really look like a guy who plans study sessions?"

"Not really," came the response.

"Precisely. So, it's a Sunday morning, and as we all know, Sunday is the most boring day of the week, right?" the new guy asked.

A few nods in response.

"Well, I figured that, with everyone else gone, and a lack of things to do, we could play a little game of Ten Questions. You ask me something that you wish to know about me, and then tell me about you."

A few questioning eyebrows lifted.

"Face it, you guys are curious about me. In fact, I heard there's a pool going on to see what my power is."

Kitty and Rogue felt their eyes widen. Had Marcus heard them in the hallway? Meanwhile, however, Evan and Kurt looked slightly flustered, looking anywhere but at Marcus.

"Well, besides my powers and my family, you guys can ask me any question, and I'll answer as best as I can. In return, you tell me about yourselves. We're gonna be living together; might as well get acquainted."

_Well, he doesn't beat around the bush, I'll give him _that, Rogue thought to herself.

"First question?" Marcus asked, looking around at the gathered teenagers. Nobody asked anything.

The new arrival sighed and sat up.

"Okay, let's work around a few things. The first five questions will be about my favorite things. For instance, my favorite food? Bacon cheeseburger, definitely," he told them, his eyes lighting up at the mention of his favorite dish. "The last five will be more personal, like if I've ever cried while watching a movie. The answer is yes, the movie was 'The Green Mile', and I was nine at the time."

Evan and Kurt began snickering at this. "But, I still have a mean left hook and can go a long time without sleep," Marcus added, silencing the two laughing mutants.

"What's your favorite TV show?" Jamie asked, finally speaking up.

_The kid speaks_, Marcus thought.

"Tough one," the teenager winced. "Does anime count?"

Jamie nodded.

"Either Dragonball Z or Bleach. Love 'em."

"Favorite movie?" From Evan.

"I'll have to go with 'Pulp Fiction'."

"What's your favorite band?" This question came from Kitty.

"Oh, that's easy: Metallica."

"Favorite video games?" Kurt asked.

"Well, let's see," Marcus said, cocking his head in thought. "On the Xbox, I like '_Gears of War_' and '_Red Dead Redemption_'. On my computer, I'll play this game called '_League of Legends_'. It is **addicting**."

"Favorite books?" Rogue asked.

"My favorite author is Stephen King, definitely. But I'll read anything from sci-fi and horror to epic fantasy. Just depends on what catches my interest."

_Okay, we got the simple questions down. Now comes the fun part_, Marcus thought sarcastically.

"Now that we've finished asking about my favorites, ask me about something more specific," he told his mutant comrades.

"You said that you traveled all over, right? Where have you gone before?" Amara asked shyly.

"Excellent question," Marcus complimented, causing Amara to blush and look away. "Well, I've been pretty much everywhere, in America at least. Mount Rushmore, Hoover Dam, Everglades. My personal favorite was the Grand Canyon."

The others were almost in awe of this strange boy. Traveling all over the country, driving his own truck (which he claimed to have won in a poker game), and who knows what else. Well, they did have four questions left. Might as well learn more.

"You ever had a girlfriend before?" Evan asked, smirking as if he had trapped Marcus in a corner. However, the young man wasn't bothered in the least by the question. In fact, he grinned.

"Actually, yes. About a year ago, I stopped in Los Angeles for about three or four months and hit it off with a fun girl named Alison Blaire," Marcus explained. "She needed a bassist for her rock band, I signed up, and shazam!" He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

"So what happened when you had to leave?" Evan questioned.

"Is that one of your questions? You have three left," Marcus pointed out.

Evan nodded, deciding to take a shot.

"Well, I thought she'd be upset. But that's one thing I always liked about Alison; she could always keep it cool. She understood that I had to leave, so we swapped email addresses and we'll talk every now and then. Far as I can tell, there are no hard feelings between us."

The other teenagers in the room nodded in understanding, with some feeling a slight admiration for the young man on the couch.

"You said you play bass, _da_?" Kurt asked. "Vhat other kinds of skills do you have?"

"Well, I tried guitar, but it turns out that I suck at using a pick," Marcus told them sheepishly. This brought a small smile to everyone's faces. "But, I know how to play baseball and football, and I've been trained in parkour, gymnastics, and a few martial arts here and there. Plus, the ladies say I have a great singing voice. Now, last question."

As it turns out, Rogue asked the last question. "You say you've traveled all your life. If that's true, then why'd you just stop and come here?"

Marcus's smile disappeared. "That's a good question, actually. A very good question. Unfortunately, I can't tell you the whole story. All I can say is that coming here seemed like the best option."

While the others raised a few eyebrows at this, and their desire to here this boy's tale skyrocketed, they could tell from the look in his eyes that he didn't wish to tell anymore besides that small sliver of information.

"Anyway," Marcus said, snapping everyone's attention back to him. His smile was back. "Time for **me **to ask **you **some questions."

* * *

So, Marcus managed to learn quite a bit about his fellow mutants (including those that weren't present; Kitty and Kurt had quite a bit of information and dirt on some of the other teenagers). He heard about Evan's skateboarding, Rogue's taste in horror novels like himself, Kitty's enjoyment of pop music (such as Lady GaGa, to Rogue's disdain), Kurt's love of '_Pirates of the Caribbean_', awkward moments that Jamie's powers have caused, Roberto's multiple displays of cockiness, Bobby's infamous pranks, a few incidents that Ray caused when he lost his temper, Rahne turning into her wolf form and scaring away the mailman after losing a bet, Amara's experiences as a princess (though Marcus was still finding that bit of information hard to believe), Sam's skills with motorcycles and mechanical repairs, Jubilee's accidentally frying the TV when she first arrived, Scott's infamous crush on Jean Grey, and the telepathic redhead's relationship with the football star of their high school.

_It's like some kind of drama series_, Marcus noted as he thought over the strange group he had just joined.

The new guy cleared his throat and stood up from the couch, lifting his arms over his head and stretching. "Well, time flew by, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah. Where is everyone, anyway? The movie couldn't have been that long," Evan said, a confused look on his face. Almost as if on cue, they all heard footsteps in the hallway.

"About time. So how was the movie?" Rogue asked irritably, turning around to see who walked in.

But the man who walked in sure wasn't a teenager. He was a slightly shorter man, with a tough look on his face, wearing jeans, boots, a white shirt, and a leather jacket.

"What movie?" he asked in a gruff voice, raising an eyebrow. Marcus couldn't tell if he was joking or not. However, he could see the looks of fear present in the others' faces.

"Oh... Hey, Logan," Evan said nervously.

_Logan? The psycho, 'work-you-until-you-cry', drill sergeant-like Logan? _Marcus thought, remembering the tales he had heard during dinner of Logan's strict training regiment. The teen couldn't wait to meet the man, to be honest. He had always loved messing with authority, not to mention the fact that he himself had previously suffered from a difficult 'workout program'. Seeing Logan's surprised face when the training started up was going to be priceless.

_Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun_, Marcus thought, grinning like a madman.

* * *

**Yeah, not my longest chapter ever, but hey, that's the way it goes. Next chapter has Marcus's first Danger Room session, and the big reveal for his powers! Anyway, reviews are appreciated, as is constructive criticism. Plus, I'm always open to ideas.**

**So, another thanks to claytheamazing, and stay tuned for more.**


	3. The Danger Room

************

Insert disclaimer here.

claytheamazing: Yeah, you're welcome. Idiot...

Bloodwolf432: Thanks. It's good to be back.

TristeAlma: He's a bit of a show-off at times, but he has quite a few flaws. Mostly mental, as you'll soon find out.

************

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Danger Room**

"You lied to them, you know."

Marcus blinked in surprise, his heart pounding heavily as he sighed and sat up straight on his bed. All the events of the past two hours had gone by in a flash.

The others had arrived back at the mansion with high spirits and jovial faces until they saw the gruff man sitting at the kitchen table, who then proceeded to tell them that they would all be taking an extra 'special' (a word that caused everyone except Marcus to shiver at the time) Danger Room session to make up for all the days he had been gone.

And he had punctuated this statement by throwing a dangerous smirk in Marcus's direction, which the teen had countered with a full-fledged mischievous grin.

Logan had given him a uniform and barked at him to get dressed and ready in half an hour. That had been twenty minutes ago, so now Marcus was just killing time. He had been sprawled out on his bed, wearing the black uniform, along with the shoulder pads, belt, and boots. The teen had been thinking of ways to annoy Logan before the voice had pierced the silence.

He recognized the voice all too well.

Marcus flopped off of his bed and walked over to the dresser, looking dead in the mirror at himself. However, he wasn't truly looking at himself. Not really.

His reflection was wearing the same revealing outfit, and possessed the same incredible (by most standards) body. But the main difference was the face. Marcus had his face in a blank stare. The reflection was grinning, and its completely black eyes, which reminded the teen of the dark of space itself, stared straight into his emerald ones.

_If you stare into the abyss long enough..._ Marcus thought.

"...the abyss stares back into you," the reflection said, reading his thoughts, its manic grin widening even further.

"I thought I got rid of you," the teenager growled at the mirror.

"Come on, champ. You can't get rid of me that easily." The mirror image of Marcus cocked its head amusedly. "I thought you were smarter than that."

"One can dream."

"Fair enough, but all the same, you lied to your new friends."

"How the hell did I lie to them?" Marcus snarled, already beginning to feel his patience slipping away.

"You said your favorite movie was 'Pulp Fiction'. We both know your favorite movie is 'Fight Club'. Why'd you lie?"

"Thinking about that movie makes me think of you."

The mirror grinned again. "Ah. That's a good reason. I am your Tyler Durden after all."

Marcus snorted. "Not exactly. I can't shoot through my cheek and kill you, can I?"

"Nope."

The teen sighed and decided to hurry this unwanted conversation along.

"So, you're still here. What do you want?"

"I wanted to check up on you. Aren't I sentimental?"

"No. You're a pain in my ass and the bane of my existence."

The reflection sighed and shook its head. "Don't get all emo on me. Can't stand those damn wrist-slicers. Maybe that should be your cool mutant nick-name: Emo-Lad."

"You're an idiot."

Seemingly ignoring him, the mirror went on. "Oh, I know! 'Mayhem'. You know, like Project Mayhem? Clever, eh?"

"Pretty sure that's been taken by someone already." Marcus's tolerance was nonexistent at this point.

"Kick-Ass? Titan? How 'bout Bonecrusher?"

"Shut up, and listen closely. You are **never **taking me over again, got it? I won't hesitate to kill the both of us if you try to hurt my friends. Clear?" Marcus warned, his fists clenched so hard that his nails were almost drawing blood.

"Is that the way to thank me for handling that piece of trash last time?" the mirror asked him, its face bearing a questioning look.

"What you **did **haunts me almost every goddamn time I sleep. I wake up sweating and seeing the same image over and over again."

"I saved your life and Danny's life. Never forget that," the image stated quietly.

"Kinda hard to. The nightmares have been with me for three months, jackass."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. They'll pass. I won't." The haunting reflection grinned once more. "See you soon, champ."

With that, the mirror image changed and became Marcus's normal face. No malicious grin. No haunting black eyes. Just a good-looking (in his opinion) sixteen-year-old wearing a stupid skin-tight black uniform. Nothing unusual here.

Sighing and rubbing his temples, Marcus turned and walked through his doorway, shutting the door behind him. He realized that he was living with a girl that could phase through walls, but he still didn't want anyone peeking into his room just yet. He had to wait until he was positive that the others were trustworthy. He wasn't paranoid, just unused to living with so many people.

Steeling himself for the looks he was bound to receive for his revealed physique, Marcus headed for the main room, where Jamie and Rahne were already waiting, dressed up in uniforms almost exactly like his own. The two turned toward him, smiling. However, Rahne's face automatically became red once she got a good look at his form, immediately averting her eyes.

"Um... the... is..." she sputtered, attempting (and failing) to regain her composure.

"The Danger Room?" Marcus asked, deciding to give the shape-shifting mutant a hand. Jamie, meanwhile, was attempting to bite back his laugh.

"Yeah!" Rahne managed to say, though a little louder than necessary. "The Danger Room. Uh, this way," she said, walking toward a section of the wall, where a door to a metal elevator opened up.

_Underground base, huh? Sweet_, the new arrival thought, motioning for Rahne and Jamie to go first.

The three entered the elevator, the doors closed behind them, and the felt the slight pull of the small box being pulled down the shaft. None of them spoke. Rahne was trying to hide her blush while Jamie was simply shy.

_Kid reminds me of myself when I was younger_, Marcus thought to himself, giving a small smile that neither one of the other mutants caught.

After a few seconds, the elevator stopped, the doors opened, and the newest member of the Xavier Institute stepped out, following Rahne and Jamie, whose codenames had been revealed to be Wolfsbane and Multiple, to the Danger Room.

They finally arrived at a large metal door that opened, allowing Marcus to see the large interior of the infamous Danger Room. Standing in the middle was Logan, who was now wearing some strange yellow costume, and the other teenagers of the Institute. Marcus noted sourly to himself that Scott, Kurt, and Evan had cooler outfits than himself. He'd have to change that.

"So, the rookie arrives," Logan said, turning to look at the new recruit. His eyes widened considerably when he saw the body the kid's suit was clinging to. The others noted this as well, with most of the girls blushing and the guys either giving nervous glances or grinning in anticipation.

"And it looks like he's been using steroids," the shorter man added as Marcus joined the main group. However, while Logan had been meaning to get under the boy's skin (something he did with every new recruit), the teen grinned and shot back "I could say the same about you. Don't 'roids stunt your growth?"

There was a large collective gasp from the other members of the team. No one **ever **spoke to Logan like that. Well, they never did it without serious repercussions.

The older man's eyes narrowed. "Smart guy, huh? I'm gonna enjoy putting you through the ringer."

"Bring it on, old man," Marcus responded, totally unfazed by the dropping temperature in the large room.

Logan snorted and spoke loud enough to address the whole team.

"Alright, since we got a new member, the rookie team is gonna take it slow and steady today. We'll go simple one-on-one sparring, then move up to the simulators. Main team, head up to the observation room."

As the six main members prepared to exit, Marcus extended his hand into the air, a seemingly innocent look on his face. Knowing that nothing good could come of this, Logan groaned and said "What is it, kid?"

Lowering his hand, the teen spoke. "First off, the name's Marcus. Learn it. Second, and I don't wanna offend anyone or anything like that, but why am I on the rookie team?"

Logan felt his patience waning. "Because you just got here yesterday, and you have no experience working with a team. Therefore, you're on the rookie squad."

"Just because I'm new here doesn't mean I lack experience. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

_I'm about to get medieval this guy_, the Canadian mutant thought to himself as he struggled to keep his temper (and claws) restrained. Managing to control himself, he spoke once more.

"Nevertheless, you're not X-Men material yet."

"You don't even know my powers, old man. How do you know if I'm 'X-Men material' or not?"

Logan's eye twitched. 'Old man'? That was the straw to break the camel's back right there. Meanwhile, the other mutant teenagers in the room all gaped at Marcus, amazed at his gall. They had never seen anyone disrespect Logan like that before. First, Marcus gave him a light insult, the questioned his judgment? This wouldn't go well for the new guy.

"Okay, kid. You think you're hot stuff?" the instructor growled, stalking up to Marcus to get in his face. "Then let's see you run the Thermopylae."

Another collective gasp. "Logan, you can't pull the Thermopylae on a new recruit," Scott protested.

"The kid wants to show off what he can do. I say let him."

"You can't throw all that at him on his first Danger Room session, Logan," Jean stated.

"Why not? He seems up to the challenge, if his words are anything to go by."

"What the hell's the Thermopylae?" Marcus asked, impatient to begin the training.

"First, watch your language. Second, it's a simple run. No simulations, just you, one person, against a whole team of X-Men."

"So basically, you want me," he jerked his thumb at himself, "to fight them," pointing at the main X-Men members, "in six-on-one combat?"

"Yep." Logan's grin was smug.

"When can I start?" Marcus asked, cracking his knuckles.

The man known as Wolverine could've sworn an anime-esque vein began popping in his head. Oh, how he desired to see that cocky look beaten off the teenager's face.

"Right now. Rookie team, we're heading for the observation room. The rest of you," he said, turning toward the main team, "show him what it takes to be an X-Man."

They nodded, walking with Marcus into the center of the large room while Logan and the rookies walking out. Marcus held up his hand for high-fives, each of the rookie squad clapping their hand against his as a show of good faith.

However, some of them, like Bobby and Roberto, muttered grumpily about the new guy's chance to shine and his gall to argue against the man who made their training a living hell.

"Well, it's not like he can beat all six of them, can he?" Sam asked, confident that Marcus's cockiness was just a show and that he had nothing to back it up with.

"Naw. He's gonna learn what happens when you mess with Wolverine," Bobby agreed.

Oh how wrong he was.

* * *

Marcus looked around him, analyzing the situation he was in. He was surrounded by six mutants, each having their own strengths and wearnesses, but no doubt they would use their teamwork to make up for any flaws in their powers.

Scott (Cyclops) was the leader, so he was a primary target. His optic blasts mixed with his no-doubt formidable hand-to-hand skills made him good at either close or long range.

Jean (no codename) was a straight-up long-range fighter, using her telekinesis and telepathy to do all the work.

Kurt (Nightcrawler) no doubt used his teleportation to get in for a surprise attack that could create a weakness for his teammates to exploit.

Evan's (Spyke's) bone spikes allowed good projectile weaponry, and most likely could be used to create competent close-combat weapons.

Kitty (Shadowcat) and Rogue were obviously close-combat only. Kitty could use her phasing powers to appear from any wall or the floor for a surprise move, while one touch from Rogue's fatal skin could knock an an opponent out for hours.

He'd have to deal with Kurt and Kitty first. Surprise attacks tended to get annoying.

"Alright ladies. You know the rules: no going overboard with the attacks, no broken bones, no deaths. Have fun, **Marcus**," Wolverine's voice snarled over the loudspeaker.

"Oh, I will," Marcus responded, crossing his arms over his chest. Let the enemy make the first move. See what they were capable of.

There was a moment of silence, six pairs of eyes staring at the new mansion member intently. They sized him up, determining what his powers, and what the level of danger, could possibly be.

Evan made the first move, chucking a bone spike at Marcus from behind. The teen whirled around in a blur and ripped the spike out of the air with his right hand.

All jaws dropped instantaneously.

Grinning in that maniacal way of his, Marcus lifted the bone spike in his hand and applied pressure, feeling the weapon break and crumble to dust in his hands. "That all you got?" he asked impishly.

Spyke was still too stunned by Marcus's counter to his bone projectile.

"Well then, I guess it's time to show you what I can really do," the boy said as he suddenly turned and leaped toward Nightcrawler, who teleported away instantly in a puff of smoke.

That was the signal for the others to attack. Jean threw a telekinetic attack that Marcus dived out of the way of, only to suddenly become locked in hand-to-hand combat with Cyclops.

The leader of the X-Men threw a good roundhouse kick which Marcus blocked with his wrist. Scott then attempted to throw three punches, all of which Marcus blocked effortlessly.

"You have talent, but you're far from my level," the sixteen-year-old bragged as he grabbed Scott's left wrist with his right hand. Before Cyclops could even blink, Marcus plunged his fist into the visored mutant's stomach, causing his abdomen to scream in pain.

This was followed by a kick to the chin and a punch to the chest. Scott flew back, groaning from the pain.

_Jean? _he projected with his thoughts.

_Scott! Are you alright? _she asked, concerned.

_This guy's something else. We gotta attack from all angles here._

_Got it. I'll tell the others._

Marcus, at that moment, was under siege from Evan and Rogue, the former using a bone staff while the latter repeatedly threw punches and kicks. The new guy was blocking all attacks with minimal effort, switching back and forth between opponents as if he were looking both ways before crossing a street.

He then threw a kick to Spyke's stomach before twisting and throwing a palm strike to Rogue's ribs. Without even pausing, Marcus whirled around and blocked the surprise punch from Kurt, who had appeared behind him in his usual teleportation.

The blue-skinned mutant was defenseless against the barrage of punches to his stomach, chest, and sides. Then, moving perfectly, Marcus ducked under Rogue's roundhouse kick and lunged back, jabbing his elbow into her gut. The goth girl felt the breath leave her body as she was knocked on her back.

Meanwhile, up in the observation room, Wolverine growled to himself. He had expected this to be a quick, humbling beatdown on the new guy. But no, he was smacking the X-Men around like they were rookies who didn't know any better! And what's worse, he wasn't even using any powers!

Marcus looked around, noticing Kitty was nowhere to be found. Relying on instinct, he back-flipped away, seeing that his gut had been right when he spotted the pair of gloved hands poking out of the metal floor.

Shadowcat phased out of the ground, a frown on her face. Kitty, Rogue, Scott, and Evan were back on their feet, looking a little sore (and ticked off), while Jean floated above them like some kind of guardian angel.

Marcus grinned once more. "So, how do I rank up so far?"

"You're tough, I'll give you that," Cyclops admitted, rubbing his chin for emphasis. "But don't get cocky."

"Why shouldn't I? I haven't even used my powers yet."

That caused the others to narrow their eyes. The guy still had tricks up his sleeve. They'd have to take it up a notch, then. Jean had already sent out a plan to the others telepathically. Now it was time to put the plan into action.

"Jean," Scott ordered.

The telekinetic redhead lifted her left hand, and Marcus felt himself get pulled into the air by her powers. Before he could retaliate or crack a joke, Scott fired an optic blast at him, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him against the wall.

Marcus was on his feet immediately, already prepared for the familiar _BAMF _noise, the puff of smoke, and Kurt's blue form. He blocked a kick by the furball and knocked him away with a palm thrust, but Kitty's sudden uppercut from the floor sent him sprawling back.

Evan and Rogue charged him once more, and Marcus simply smiled. They had caught him off-guard, but their attacks weren't effective against him. He had been smacked around, beaten, brutalized, and hospitalized by the worst humanity had to offer. These high-schoolers weren't as much as a challenge. But their teamwork was impressive.

After a flurry of punches and kicks that didn't connect once with him, Marcus leaped into the air and threw an eagle kick, lashing out with both feet horizontally at once, hitting Spyke and Rogue in the chest.

Without time to breathe, Marcus was sent flying back by a telekinetic wave from Jean, which was followed by another blast from Scott.

The teen was knocked to the ground, arms and legs sprawled out and eyes closed, as if he were sleeping. Cyclops approached him, arms folded over his chest and an air of confidence filling his voice as he asked "Had enough?"

To the team's great surprise, Marcus began laughing. An amused, hearty laugh. Scott raised an eyebrow behind his visor.

"Have I had enough?" the boy on the ground asked. Suddenly, in a blur of motion, he was face-to-face with Scott, his eyes only two inches away, glowing red. "Not a chance in hell."

With that, a large red energy blast burst forth from his eyes, hitting Cyclops and sending him flying upwards, his body hitting Jean and knocking them both to the ground.

All eyes were on Marcus now, staring at the all-too-familiar blast that had erupted from his eyeballs.

"Guess I should tell you now, huh? My mutant power? I can mimic other mutant powers."

Before anyone could react, Marcus flew into the air, his legs disappearing in a black funnel while his hands began sparking with electricity. Up in the observation room, Sam and Ray both shouted "Hey!"

While Jean and Scott were attempting to get back up, Evan began throwing bone spikes at Marcus, who flew through the air with Cannonball's powers while repeatedly firing blasts of electricity from his fists.

He managed to hit Kurt with a blast while Evan and Rogue dodged. Kitty phased into the ground, escaping any damage.

The teen then launched himself forward, aiming his entire body towards Scott, who was preparing to fire another optic blast. Marcus simply grinned as his entire body burst into flames, looking like a flying human-shaped sunspot.

Cyclops managed to fire off a blast, but it simply bounced off the burning mutant, like the effect of a fly hitting a windshield.

A burning fist came at his face, and Scott knew he was going to be hurting for days after that punch connected. The knuckles grew closer, and then...

Marcus phased through Cyclops like a ghost.

The leader of the X-Men blinked as he attempted to comprehend what just happened. He jumped in surprise as Marcus clapped him on the back, laughing. His borrowed powers were shut off, making him appear as normal as ever.

"Come on, blinky. Did ya really think I was gonna kill ya?" the young mutant asked as his laughter began dying down. "I think it's safe to say that this session is over."

The other students in the room simply stared at Marcus, at a loss for words. The same went for Wolverine, who was trying to wrap his mind around the fact that a single kid had smacked his team around, with a mixture of skilled martial arts (whose technique and execution were very impressive, even by Logan's standards) and a combination of other powers from the mutants standing around him.

Who the hell was this kid?

* * *

**Ooooh, cliffhanger!**

**Anyway, you now know what Marcus can do. But his powers have a limit, as you'll soon find out. Next chapter, Marcus's explanation of his powers, and his first day of high school!**


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